Thursday Pebble Report: Nuts experience power failure, Christensen slugs Tourists to victory

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 30, 2009 7:16 AM MDT in Pebble Report Comment 15 comments

AAA Colorado Springs, Off Day - (13-6, t-1st)

The Sky Sox were off Wednesday night. They will take on the defending PCL champion Sacramento River Cats (A's) tonight at 6:05MDT in Colorado Springs. Alan Johnson (3-0, 1.96) will try to win his fourth start in as many games and will face the equally dominant Vin Mazzaro.

AA Tulsa, L 7-5 - (8-11, 3 GB)

Esmil Rogers struck out seven in 5.1 IP but allowed 5 runs on 7 hits against the Arkansas Travelers (Angels). The gangly Rogers (he is listed at 6 inches taller than David Eckstein and 27 pounds lighter) was let off the hook with a three run eighth inning, highlighted by a Cole Garner triple, a Chris Nelson walk, and a Jeff Kindel home run. Peter Bourjos hit a two run triple in the ninth inning off of Andrew Johnston (0-2) for the winning margin. Box Score

The Drillers managed just five hits, yet every position player reached base with the help of six free passes. Tulsa closes out their 4 game set with Arkansas tonight at 6:05MDT in Tulsa with Chaz Roe (1-0, 1.29) on the hill. Roe is coming off of consecutive scoreless starts.

High-A Modesto, 3-1 lead, play suspended - (13-6, 1 GB)

The power went out on the Nuts Wednesday night. Literally. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning against the Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers), the lights went out at Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakerfield, California and could not be turned back on. The game will resume in the bottom of the first inning as part of a double header May 14.

Thankfully for manager Jerry Weinstein, Modesto had plenty of power before the stadium went black. The first six hitters had productive at-bats in the first inning off of Kennil Gomez. Charlie Blackmon led off with a single, and Radames Nazario singled him to third. After a sacrifice fly by Hector Gomez, Brian Rike launched a two run home run for a 3-0 lead. Jason van Kooten walked and Lars Davis singled before Gomez stopped the bleeding by striking out Jeffrey Cunningham and Jay Cox.

Modesto will close their four game series with the Blaze with a separate game tonight at 8:15MDT.

Low-A Asheville, W 12-10 - (9-11, 3 GB)

The Tourists came from behind twice to defeat the Charleston River Dogs (Yankees) Wednesday night. The final comeback was highlighted by David Christensen, who hit a clutch, game-typing home run - his third of the season - to lead off the eighth inning. Christensen was 3-for-4, just a triple shy of the cycle and is 9 for his last 16. Kiel Roling also connected for his first home run.

Nine different Tourists scored and seven different players recorded RBIs in the offensive onslaught. Tyler Massey, James Cesario, Thomas Field and Delta Cleary all pilfered second base. Parker Frazier and Jonnathan Aristil gave up most of the damage off the mound. Box Score

Christian Friedrich (1-0, 0.53) will pitch against Charleston tonight at 5:05MDT. Friedrich probably won't be a Tourist long. He has allowed just one run (a solo homer) in his three starts and sports a stout 25/4 K/BB ratio over 17 innings.

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Comments

What, no MiLB network yet?

We have three pitchers going today with dominating stat lines…wish I could take a visual gander at their performances today

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 30, 2009 10:08 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Is there any future for Radames Nazario?

His past stats suggest no, but he’s having a good start to 2009 and he’s basically supplanted Hector Gomez for the time being.

Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies

by Andrew Martin on Apr 30, 2009 10:44 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Not likely

Gomez is back from injury so he’ll go back to being a utility infielder.

by Tom (RFTN) on Apr 30, 2009 10:57 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nuts infield

The Nuts infield is going to be awesome once Repec comes back.

Heck, the whole team looks like a monster in the making… maybe even better than they were in Asheville last year.

by roxhead on Apr 30, 2009 11:41 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really, I see the opposite this year

I don’t see many prospects w/ the Nuts other than Rosario, Blackmon, and Gomez. Rike is on the edge along w/ a couple others, but I am not particularly high on this group of position players. However, I really like the possibilities in Asheville. The OF in Asheville has 4 guys worth watching IMHO, Massey, Cleary, Robinson, and Christensen. Cesario, Pacheco, and Roling are all interesting from the infield side of things too. Martinez was even high on the list at 1 point in time, but now seems to be falling off the radar. The pitching in Asheville is another story, outside of Friedrich (who hopefully won’t be there long) and Frazier, and possibly Weatheford, we don’t have much.

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

by smokinRox on Apr 30, 2009 3:54 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is so impressive about Rosario?

I think I’ve asked this before, but he doesn’t seem to have a huge bat, and yes I know he’s very young, esp for a catcher, but what is catching everyone’s eye?

Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies

by Andrew Martin on Apr 30, 2009 3:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

You didn't think his year in Casper was impressive in '08?

A .903 OPS, and OBP of .371, and if you extrapolate the numbers for a full season you are looking at 20-25 HR’s and about 30 2B’s. I understand he struck out quite a bit, but for a 19 year old its not too bad. I also hear that he controls the running game well, and calls a pretty decent game.

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

by smokinRox on Apr 30, 2009 4:13 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

For his age it's not bad

But anything impressive in Casper just…well, it doesn’t impress me much. It’s rookie ball at roughly the same elevation as Denver sans humidor.

I mean, the intangibles/game control, etc, that’s all good, but if you don’t have that at some point, you shouldn’t be a catcher anyhow.

Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies

by Andrew Martin on Apr 30, 2009 6:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And most "catchers" in the minors don't have that.

The Rockies are an exception in that all of their catching prospects, with the possible exception of Pacheco because he’s new to the position, are legitimately good defensive backstops.

As for Casper’s elevation, if you let that get in the way of evaluating, nobody winds up looking impressive and you throw the babies out with the bathwater. Instead I look for players that have been there before to see what’s a good prospect. Ian Stewart? Good prospect. Since Rosario’s put up some similar production at just a bit older but at a more premium position, and since there are no other players in that age bracket that have really done that besides those two, it becomes easier to project him as a solid player.

The very fact that he’s at Modesto right now is also a strong sign. It would be a lot stronger if he was blowing through the league, but there hasn’t been a catcher this young in the California League in either of the last two seasons as far as I can tell.

by Rox Girl on Apr 30, 2009 6:52 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with the advancement

And the defensive notes are good to know, I didn’t realize we had solid defensive catching prospects, I just figured it was like with most catchers “hey he can PLAY catcher = Catching Prospect”.

Obviously the .900 OPS are good, you move him forward. It just feels like the Wilin Rosario sentiment around here is “Can we just trade Torrealba and call up Rosario” – and I may have misread some of it.

I mean, realistically, we’re not expecting to see him for 2-3 years at least, right? If he keeps carrying a .800+ OPS through the minors, yeah, I’ll be impressed.

So yeah, I kind of take it back, they’re good numbers, esp at age 19, considering the number of 22 year old teammates he had who couldn’t put up those numbers.

Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies

by Andrew Martin on Apr 30, 2009 7:29 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, this is true, people seem to be rushing his time table

2011 or 2012 even might be what we’d be looking at. I’ve seen a McKenry/Iannetta as the bridge to that point, so long as he progresses.

by Rox Girl on Apr 30, 2009 7:43 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

In 2008 Rosario had

the best ISO by a teenager at Casper since Ian Stewart means that he’s a power hitting catcher. He has some contact issues, but nothing especially massive for that age. He’s getting a little on top of pitches right now, but has a pretty quick bat and he’s got a good arm and decent receiver skills. So a potential 25-30 HR catcher with decent defense? I’m not sure what you’re seeing that’s particularly unimpressive.

by Rox Girl on Apr 30, 2009 6:45 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well that particular post was just meant to be a question

If he can keep his level of plate discipline up and continue with a power bat, I’ll be impressed.

Like I say above, whenever we talk about him, he seems to be so much more imminent than he really is at this point.

Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies

by Andrew Martin on Apr 30, 2009 7:33 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can see your point

Rosario was billed as a top Purp and everyone got excited it seemed. He had a great year in Casper, and while I take absolutely nothing away from him, I do want to see another year of stellar production before I start dreaming of him in purple. McKenry is far closer

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 30, 2009 11:43 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs